People walk over a water bridge after their homes were swamped following rains
KIGALI, May 5 (NNN-GNA) — After floods and landslides devastated districts in the north, west, and southern region of Rwanda on the night of May 2, the death toll rose to 130 by Thursday morning, according to the government’s Deputy Spokesperson Allain Mukuralinda.
In addition, 77 individuals were injured, with 36 receiving treatment in local hospitals and five people are still missing. The district of Rubavu was hit the hardest, with over 1,000 homes destroyed due to ongoing rainfall.
Rescue teams are still working to recover bodies that are trapped in landslides and collapsed houses.
In response to this crisis, various authorities, military forces, religious organisations and humanitarian groups have initiated interventions since Wednesday.
Affected individuals have been provided with essential items such as tents, blankets, food, and basic household utensils. Some people have also been accommodated in safe zones such as churches and schools.
According to a statement by the office of Rwandan president, rescue interventions including relocating residents from affected areas to safer zones have been carried out. Affected districts also increased from four to nine: Nyabihu, Rubavu, Karongi, Rutsiro, Gakenke, Burera, Musanze Ngororero, and Nyamagabe in the northern, western, and southern provinces.
It started raining on Tuesday around 11 pm and by Wednesday morning, over 50 people were declared dead. Among the victims is a family of five that was all killed in the disaster.
“My deepest condolences to the families and loved ones of the victims of the landslides and floods that occurred last night in the Western, Northern, and Southern Provinces. We are doing everything within our means to address this difficult situation. I am personally following up on the response closely,” President Kagame took to Twitter to console survivors.
Rwanda normally experiences heavy rains and hailstorms between January and April, which often result in the loss of lives especially those living in high-risk zones.
In Kigali, 27,000 families still reside in high-risk zones where disaster always looms when it rains.
The deaths from the latest floods bring the toll to 197 lives lost since January, according to Rwanda’s Ministry of Emergency Management. — NNN-GNA